New Sioux Falls elementary will be named after Cheyenne River tribal matriarch

Sioux Falls’ newest elementary school will be named for elder, politician, nurse and military veteran Marcella LeBeau when it opens in fall 2025.

This is the first school in the Sioux Falls School District to be named after an Indigenous woman. Ben Reifel Middle School is named for Ben Reifel, an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe who was the first Lakota man to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Board member Dawn Marie Johnson, the first woman of color and first Indigenous woman elected to the school board, became emotional at Monday night’s announcement that the school would be named in LeBeau’s honor.

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Johnson was not on the committee of students, parents, teachers, administrators, community members and one board member who came together to decide on the name of the new school, so the announcement was a surprise to her. She cried as she spoke about the honor.

“My first Native American educator that I had wasn’t until college, and she was a social worker. The only reason why I chose social work was because I looked up to her and respected her so much. She looked like me. She looked like my aunt,” Johnson said. “To know that there’s going to be kids able to go into their school to see somebody that looks like them -- that’s positive. That means so much.”

Anna Brokenleg, instructional coach and teacher on special assignment for the Office of Indian Education for the district, said she was honored to help announce the school would be named for an Indigenous matriarch and elder, and an inspirational figure “whose legacy continues to resonate deeply within our community.”

“It was truly a privilege to engage in conversation with her daughter Diane, who conveyed her family’s profound excitement regarding the potential honor of having an elementary school named after her mother,” Brokenleg said. “Marcella’s remarkable journey as an award-winning nurse and a distinguished World War II veteran embodies the values of strength, compassion and service; values we strive to instill in our students every day.”

Board President Carly Reiter said the school will start with a great culture as students learn about the life LeBeau lived, the example she set and her admirable characteristics.

Superintendent Jane Stavem said as the school construction and opening moves forward, the district will name a new principal for the school, hire staff, select school colors and a mascot.

About Marcella LeBeau

LeBeau, from the Two Kettle Band of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, was born Oct. 12, 1919 in Promise and died Nov. 21, 2021 in Eagle Butte. She served in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II in England, France and Belgium, according to her obituary, and worked as a nurse for 31 years after her service until her retirement.

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During her service, LeBeau served under the 76th General Hospital Unit, caring for service members during the Battle of the Bulge and the Normandy D-Day landings, according to a presentation by the school district. She was a First Lieutenant when she left the Army.

LeBeau was also a member of the Cheyenne River Tribal Council from 1990 to 1994 and led anti-smoking efforts to become the first smoke-free community in South Dakota, according to her obituary.

She co-founded the Native American Indian Women’s Association, assisted in the repatriation of a ceremonial Ghost Dance shirt stolen from a body at the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890, and was instrumental in introducing the Remove the Stain Act to rescind the 20 Medals of Honor from the U.S. Calvary who carried out bloodshed in the massacre at Wounded Knee, according to her obituary.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Marcella LeBeau Elementary School set to open in Sioux Falls by 2025